LEBANON - A list of about 20 toy-building projects for kids and teens that Gary Hartman compiled last summer led the retired engineer into an unexpected endeavor of his own.

"One day I looked at my list and thought there might be enough there to actually make a book," he said. "And I started writing."

What resulted after steady work through the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays was a 142-page book called "Kids' Book of Adventure Projects," now on sale through Amazon, Borders and Target websites.

Hartman presents his $14.95 book as an illustrated building manual for 16 toys made with wood and other household products using basic tools.

Tapping into his expertise from nearly three decades as a civilian engineer for the Navy and later for the Army Corps of Engineers, Hartman's projects are functional and some are identical to ones he made in his elementary and middle school years.

Some examples: Army tank, boomerang, peg shooter rifle, kite, slingshot, periscope, kaleidoscope.

Hartman said a child can feel more pride and accomplishment in building something from scratch. He credits early exposure to tools, craft-making books and free time with his interest in electrical engineering as a career. He said he hopes to offer the present generation of kids similar inspiration.

"A modern kid still needs more than a video game and a cell phone to become truly capable in the modern world," he said. "Perhaps this book will help him or her enjoy those play and adventure areas of building projects and learning new and exciting skills."

Hartman admits some of the projects require time and help from adults more adept with the saws, awl, chisel, pocket knife, drill and other tools listed in chapter one, which also describes how to use the items. In each chapter he urges kids to ask parents for help with tools if they feel unsafe or unsure with them.

The most lengthy project in Hartman's book is an airplane modeled after a British World War II fighter. Instructions include how to cut the wooden pieces, assemble the body and paint a gray exterior.

A finished version of the airplane sits on Hartman's mantel, along with other toys he constructed as he wrote the book, in the home he shares with his wife, Janey.

Ellen Ast can be reached at ellen.ast@lee.net.